Folding paper box



I June 22, ANDERSON, JR

rowme nrnn Box J 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Now 24, 1947 June 22, 1948. w.s. ANDERSON, JR 2,443,733

FOLDING PAPER Box Filed Nov. 24,1947 s Sheets-finest 3 Patented June22,-1948 roLnmG rerun BOX Wilbur G. Anderson, In, Grand Rapids, Mich.,

or to American Box Board Company,

Grand Rapids, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application November 24,1947, Serial No. 787,629

The present invention relates to a very practi-' I .cal and economicalbox made'largely of paper tainers should be of ample strength so thatnumbers of them may be stacked one upon the other. Containers made ofpaper stock have heretofore been used, but their durability has not beengood and it has been necessary to discard them after they have been useda few times.

With my invention a particularly practical, sturdy and durable box, madeout of low priced materials such as paperboard, is provided, whichaftera load has been delivered, is instantly foldable so as to occupysubstantially the smallest possible space and when again to be used, isset up at once, requiring no tools or fastenings in the process ofeither setting up for bunreceiving or collapsing for transportation. Ofcourse, the collapsibility of the box for shipment from the factory topurchasers of said boxes is likewise very desirable, both for conservingspace and for saving the boxes from injury.

With my invention the various objects and purposes above outlined havebeen accomplished in an exceptionally satisfactory manner.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the three parts which are used tomake up the box, before their permanent connection together,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the box completed,

Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged plan of'the box shown in Fig. 2, the topor cover being shown fragmentarily, I

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the closed boxsubstantially on the plane of line 4--4 of Fig. ,3,

.Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section there through substantially onthe plane of line 5-5 of, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view folded or collapsed when not in use Likereference characters refer to like-parts in the diiferentflgures of thedrawings.

In the constructionof the box, a singlev rectangular length of suitableand rather heavy and strong paperboard is used to provide the bottom,the spaced sides and the top of the completed showing the box 7 Claims.(01. 229-23) box. The bottom I, of rectangular form, has what may betermed front and rear sides 2 int'egral therewith extending upwardly,The front side at its upper edge portion is return bentin a generallycircular bend 4 of short radius, from which an outside flap 5 extendsdownwardly lying against the side 2 and being permanentlystaple-connected therewith.

The upper edge of the rear side 3 is similarly return bent in agenerally circular bend 6 of like short radius, from which a section Iof approximately the same width as the flap 5 extends downwardly at theouter side of the rear side 3, and is then sharply return bent at 8 andcontinued in a vertically extending section 9 bearing against thesection I. Said sections 1 and 9 are permanently connected by stapleswith the rear side 3. The outer rear section 9 is shaped and curved topass partly around the bend or loop 6 and continued in a cover IIIwhich, at its free edge, is turned back upon itself, providing areinforcing flap ll stapled thereto.

An open wire frame having ends I: and sides I! is connected with the boxstructure described, the sides [3 passing lengthwise through the loopsor bends 4 or 6, and the ends l2 extending between the ends of saidsides l3 substantially directlyabove the end edges of the bottom I, asshown in Fig. 1.

The bottom is completed by two end .mem-

-bers. Each is formed from like paperboard material with a verticalrectangular section l4, from the lower edge of which a flap I5 is turnedinwardly at right angles. At opposite ends of the vertical end sectionl4, two vertical flaps l6 and I1 are likewise turned inwardly at rightangles, as shown, the flaps It being of less width than those at IT.Said end members are connected with the box by inserting them at theends of the box with the flaps l5 against the upper side of the bottom,the flaps l1 against the inner side of the rear side 3, and the flaps l6against the inner side of the front side 2. When thus inserted, theupper edge lip portion l8 of each end section I4 is at the inside of andextends above the'adjacent end l2 of the open wire frame, as best shownin Fig. 2. The end members are permanently connected by staples isthrough the front narrower flaps l6 and the end portions of the frontside 2 of the box As thus constructed (Fig. 2), the bottom flaps l5extending inwardly from the vertical end sections l4 and at their endsmay come within the flaps l6 and i1 and fold upwardly against thevertical end members I4 when the box is to be collapsed. When the box isset up toreceive the articles carried therein (Fig. 2) the articles,

,such as buns, will hold the bottom flaps l5 down against the bottom Iand the rear flaps l1 against the rear side 3. The lower ends of flapsI! bearing against the bottom I, the ends l4 can not be pushed out attheir lower portions. The top or cover Ill may be brought downwardly tocover the open upper side of the box, and at its end edges will bewithin the innersides of the upwardly extending lips IQ of the verticalend members I l. The reinforcements made to the free longitudinal edgeof the cover In and the upper edge of the front side 2, insure againstdamage at such edges. The box is of a particularly sturdy and durablecharacter. The upper portions of the ends I4 are held from any outwardmovement by the ends I! of the wire frame.

When the box is empty and is to be collapsed for return, the flaps 15are turned upwardly against the vertical end sections it and the endsare swung inwardly, one overlapping the other, against the inner side ofthe front side 2. The bottom will then readily move to the same plane asthe front and the rear side 3 fold partly over the bottom and the top IOextend over the folded ends, as shown in Fig. 6. Toset the box up forservice, it is merely necessary to unfold the top and lift the rear sideto vertical position, whereupon the front side will follow by reason ofthe connection made by the end wires I2, the ends are swung to comeagainst said wires l2 and the bottom flaps turned down to horizontalposition. The setting up or collapse of the box when empty issubstantially instantaneously per formed.

The box structure disclosed and fully described is economical to produceand before it becomes worn out and has to be discarded, may be usedscores of times. The food material carried in such box is kept in aclean and sanitary condition. While subjected in service to-rough usage,it is able to withstand such usage for a long time.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A box structure having, a horizontal rectangular bottom and upwardlyextending vertical sides at its longitudinal edges, each of said sidesat its upper edge portions being returned upon itself and extendeddownwardly along the outer sides thereof for a short distance andpermanently secured thereto, an open rectangular the upper end of thebox and an open position, and said vertical end members having lips attheir upper edge portions extending above the upper edges of the sidesof the box between which said cover is located when in closed position,with its upper edges inside of said lips and closely adjacent thereto.

3. A box structure of paper material comprising, a rectangular length ofsuch material transversely scored at spaced apart distances and at rightangles to the length of said material to provide a rectangular bottom, afront vertical side, a rear vertical side, an outwardly return bent flapat the upper edge of each of said sides lying against the outer sidesthereof, one of said return bent flaps at the rear side of the boxhaving a return bent vertical section lying thereagainst integraltherewith, and continued from which is a cover having a length equal tothe length of the box and a width equal generally to the distancebetween the front and rear sides. thereof, an open rectangular frame ofwire rod having the sides thereof located at the upper edges of thesides of the box and covered by the 'frame having sides covered by theupper edge portions of the sides of the box at the return portlonsthereof and having ends connecting the sides of said frame, an end ateach end of the box comprising, a vertical end member, a horizontal flapextending from its lower edge and vertical flaps, one extending fromeach end of each of the end members and foldably connected therewith,said horizontal flaps lying against the bottom and said end flaps lyingagainst the inner sides of the sides of the box, and means permanentlyconnecting the flaps at one end of each of the vertical end membersto'the adjacent side of the box, said bottom flap and remaining end flapbeing free of connection to said box, said vertical end section of eachend member at its upper edge portion being located at the inner sides ofthe ends of the open frame.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, said return and downwardlyextending portion at the upper edge of one side of the box at its loweredge having integrally connected therewith a vertical section lyingagainst its outer side from which a rectangular cover extends, saidcover being adapted to be moved between a position closing return bentflaps thereof, and frame ends between the ends of the sides of the frameends for closing the ends of the box, means for hingedly connecting eachend to the front side of the box whereb the ends may be folded againstthe inner side of said front side of the box or unfolded to their endclosing positions, said ends at their upper edge portions engagingagainst the ends of said open frame, and means connected with said boxends engaging the bottom and the rear side of the box to prevent saidends moving outwardly at their lower portions beyond the vertical planesof said ends of the open frame.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, each of said ends at its upperedge having an upwardly extending longitudinal lip extending above theadjacent end of the open frame; between which the end edges-of the coverare adapted to be located when the cover is in closed position, andsaidcover at its free longitudinal edge having a return bent flappermanently secured in place adapted to bear against the upper edge ofthe front of the box.

5. A box structure having a horizontal rectangular bottom, verticalsides foldably connected with said bottom at the longitudinal side edgethereof, rods paralleling said bottom extending from the upper cornerportions of one side to the upper corner portions of the other side atthe ends of the box, means for 'pivotally connecting said rods to saidsides of the box at said upper corner portions thereof, a vertical endfoldably connected at each end of the box to one side of said box andadapted to extend to the other side thereof, said ends lying within saidrods at the upper portions of said ends when-extending between thesides, a horizontal member foldably connected at the lower edge of eachof said ends adapted to extend over the bottom of the box, and avertical member foldably connected at an end of each end member adaptedto lie against the inner side of the side of the box to which said boxends are not connected, as described.

6. A structure as described in claim 5, and a top foldably connected tothe vertical side of the box to which said box ends are not connected,adapted to uncover the box when in one position and to cover the openside thereof in closed position.

-'7. A box structure having a horizontal rectangular bottom and upwardlyextending front and rear vertical sides at its longitudinal edgesfoldably connected thereto, each of said sides at its upper edge portionbeing returned upon itself and extended downwardly against itsassociated vertical side of the box for a short distance and permanentlysecured thereto, rods extending between the upper corner portions ofsaid sides,

means for pivotally connecting said rods at their.

ends to said sides at their upper corner portions,

a .box end for each end of the box comprising, a 10 vertical end member,a horizontal flap foldably extending from the lower edge of each boxend, an end flap foldabl extending from each end of the box ends, saidhorizontal flaps lying against

